


Home Is Where the Heart Is

by dixie_drifter



Series: A Little Slice of the Kingdom [6]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: A little angst, Episode Related, Fluff, M/M, blink and you miss it - Freeform, but like in the background - Freeform, episode coda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 06:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19193170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dixie_drifter/pseuds/dixie_drifter
Summary: The D&A scene from 4x03 expanded a bit.





	Home Is Where the Heart Is

With Deran’s help, Adrian managed to get his suitcase zipped. He wouldn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon, but he didn’t want to be scrambling to finish any last minute packing. With a soft grunt, Adrian picked the case up and set it across the room by the door. He turned back towards Deran only to find Deran already gazing at him with a soft look in his eyes.

It wasn’t so unusual these days. It wasn’t so unusual at all, really, but now it was out there for everyone to see. Across the bar, when Deran leaned over it to tease Adrian, or at the beach surrounded by people they had grown up surfing with, when Deran would drape his arm casually across Adrian’s knee, fingers unconsciously drawing meaningless symbols into Adrian’s jeans, while they drank beers and watched whichever drunk idiot tried to set themselves on fire that night. Regardless, it never failed in making the rest of the world fade away, leaving the two of them lost in each other.

But tonight it couldn’t erase the guilt in Adrian’s gut.

Adrian walked over to him, determined not to let it ruin the moment. Deran so rarely verbalized what he was feeling so freely. Adrian didn't want to give Deran any reason to refrain from doing so in the future. He slid his hands up Deran’s sides, and back down, before closing gently around his waist. 

“How much are you going to miss me?” he asked playfully.

Deran had brought his hands up to Adrian’s shoulders, rubbing them before slipping them back behind to rub the back of Adrian’s neck. Adrian shivered when the callouses on Deran’s fingers lightly scratched at the soft skin at the nape of his neck.

Deran held Adrian’s gaze, but said nothing. For a moment Adrian thought he wouldn’t say anything, and would just kiss him.

Then, Deran said, “Like a lung.”

Adrian’s smile, which had been small and teasing before, became brighter. He reached up to grab a fistful of Deran’s hair before pulling him into a kiss. Deran’s hands went to his waist, pulling him closer against Deran’s body, while at the same time maneuvering him back towards their bed. Deran broke the kiss only to shove Adrian back on the bed. Adrian laughed and tried to pull Deran down on top of him, but Deran resisted. 

Adrian fell back on his elbows, and raised a brow. “This will be more fun if you come down here too.” 

He bit his lip, and let his eyes run slowly down Deran’s body. “Unless you want to watch? And then, well...” He trailed off, shifting his weight to one side, so he could use his other hand to slide under his shirt. His breathing stuttered when his fingers brushed his nipple, drawing Deran's attention like a laser. Adrian sprawled across the bed, ignoring Deran’s hands on his calves, knowing it wouldn’t take much to get to his boyfriend.

Once the dark material of his t-shirt was pushed up to his collar, Adrian wasted no time in slipping his hand back down his abdomen and under the waistband of his shorts. Deran was on him in an instant, ignoring Adrian’s smug grin as he settled on top of him.

Adrian leaned up to kiss him, but Deran turned away. He bit at Adrian’s jaw, placed a long kiss againt his pulse before pulling back.

“You gonna miss me?” he asked.

Adrian cupped his face. “I always get homesick when I leave.”

“You always do whenever you leave Oceanside, have ever since we were kids. That’s not what I asked though.”

Adrian placed his hands on Deran’s chest and shoved. Deran went easily, blinking in confusion when Adrian followed, pinning him to the bed instead. He looked up at Adrian, body tense, like he was waiting for an attack that wasn’t coming.

Adrian braced himself with a hand by Deran’s head, as he brushed the fingers of his other through Deran’s hair. Deran’s hands gripped Adrian’s thighs, almost like he wanted to flip them again. Instead, he relaxed them, sliding his hands up and around to palm Adrian’s ass before bring them back down to his thighs.

“Deran.”

“Mmmm?”

Adrian made sure he had Deran’s complete attention before continuing. 

“Oceanside isn’t my home, Deran. You are.”

Deran jerked beneath him, fingers digging into Adrian’s jeans as he stared wide eyed up at him. 

“You always have been. Even when the thought of you hurt and made me so angry I couldn’t breath.”

Deran sat up, wrapping his arms around Adrian’s waist. His breathing was a little shaky, the way most people's would be if their own impossibilities were becoming reality.

“You always will be,” Adrian continued. “No matter what, okay, no matter what happens. And I’m not telling you this because I want to hear it back, okay. I’m telling you because I just want you to know what you mean to me.”

He kissed Deran then, and Deran gave himself over to it, to him. There would be time later for Deran to respond with words, for now, he would show with his actions that Adrian was the most important thing in world to him. Three weeks would fly by, and then Adrian would be safe at home. 

They had all the time in the world.


End file.
